The present invention relates generally to the art of rodenticide containers and specifically to a non-spilling tamper proof rodent bait container for the extermination of small rodents.
It is common practice to control or eliminate rodent populations by placing a rodenticide in a place where it is likely to be ingested by such animals. Numerous highly effective rodenticides are known and readily available to the public. These poisons are generally prepared in food-like, edible formats which are appealing to rats and mice. Unfortunately, the toxic effects of such preparations are not specific to rodents. They are also toxic to and pose a danger to the safety of domestic animals, desirable species of wild animals, and humans.
Because of their foodlike physical qualities, rodenticide preparations, or "rodent baits" which are left in openly accessible areas may be purposefully ingested by pet animals or unknowing children. In order to prevent such accidental poisonings, it is desirable to place the rodent bait in a container which will enable or even induce target rodents to enter thereinto and ingest the poison, while at the same time rendering the poison inaccessible to larger size animals and humans. In addition, such containers should be constructed to be essentially tamper proof and non-spilling in the event that the container is tampered with.
Ideally, rodent bait containers should also be constructed to prevent the entry of environmental water or liquid sewage which may collect outside the container. Additionally, such containers should exclude ultraviolet radiation from penetrating thereinto. The exclusion of light from the container interior provides an environment within the container which is inviting to nocturnal animals such as rats and mice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,525 describes a rodent bait container having a generally triangular shape with a single central passageway connecting two rodent entraceways with two separate bait containment chambers. At the inner end of the passageway of the apparatus described in this patent, there are two rodent inaccessible vertical slitlike openings in the outer wall of the container. These openings are visible from the central passageway of the container and are intended to provide an apparent means of egress whereby hesitant rodents will be enticed to further enter the container. Also, the container shown in the above-referred to patent is provided with single anti-contamination lips or barriers extending across each rodent entranceway. These anti-contamination lips are intended to prevent the undesired flow of environmental water or other fluids into the container.
Practical experience has shown the rodent bait container of the above patent to be an extremely functional and indeed tamper resistant bait station for use in exterminating rats and other large rodents. Continued experimentation has, however, shown that the device of this patent is not optimally sized or designed for the extermination of mice and other small rodents. As a result, we have conceived of a bait container which, by our present standard of knowledge, it optimally designed for small rodents. As described herein, the rodent bait station of the present invention differs markedly from the apparatus described in the above-mentioned patent.